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Officer Tom Decker added to police memorial

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) -- The name of a Cold Spring-Richmond police officer killed last fall will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Tom Decker, 31, was gunned down Nov. 29 while responding to a call in Cold Spring. The investigation into his shooting is ongoing.

Decker's widow, Alicia; his parents, John and Rosella Decker; his siblings and other members of his family are attending National Police Week events in Washington, D.C., this week, according to the St. Cloud Times reports.

Local officers going include five full-time Cold Spring-Richmond officers, one St. Paul officer, one retired north St. Paul officer and a former Cold Spring-Richmond officer, according to Cold Spring-Richmond Officer Eric Boucher.

Decker's family and the officers will attend a candlelight vigil Monday at the memorial, along with 20,000 others expected there. Decker's is among more than 19,000 names of American law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.

The family was expected to leave Sunday for Washington. They were to be escorted to the airport by squad cars from the dozens of jurisdictions the escort will pass through on the way to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The names of two other Minnesota officers are also being added to the wall this year.

One is Arthur James Briggs of the Duluth Police Department, who died April 28, 1908. Briggs, 53, collapsed and died after struggling with an intoxicated suspect who was resisting arrest.

The other is Ole Havey of the Hayfield Police Department, who died Dec. 30, 1905. Havey, 40, was shot as he attempted to arrest a burglar who was looting the general store. The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.